Scotland’s transport minister is undecided on whether to support calls for an independent public inquiry into North Sea helicopter safety.

Humza Yousaf met a delegation of trade union representatives yesterday in Edinburgh to hear their fears about offshore transport safety.

Unite regional officer Tommy Campbell said the meeting was “helpful and informative” and that Mr Yousaf had listened to workers’ concerns.

Mr Campbell said both sides intended to meet again in the New Year to “follow up on some of the points made”.

He added: “We are quite satisfied that the helicopter safety is being taken seriously by the Scottish Government.”

North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said the dialogue was still open, but that the Scottish Government had not yet made its position known.

Mr Macdonald said: “The Scottish Government has not dismissed the possibility of a public inquiry, but they haven’t got behind it yet either.

“They are happy to continue the dialogue.”

Ultimately, a public inquiry would require the backing of the UK Government, but unions are hopeful that support from the Scottish Government would strengthen their case.

Mr Macdonald added: “We want to convince the Scottish Government that the best way forward is to have an independent public inquiry.

“Then it can be about the whole sector, not just technical issues.”

Mr Macdonald tabled a member’s business motion to bring the debate into the Scottish Parliament in October.

Several MSPs backed calls from unions for an inquiry at the cross-party debate in Holyrood.

Mr Yousaf said at the time he was prepared to meet those who want an inquiry.

But he clarified that the lifting of flight restrictions was a matter for aviation regulators, not the Scottish Government.

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “The health and safety of oil and gas workers in the North Sea is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government and the transport minister had an informative and constructive meeting with union representatives, where he heard their views directly on helicopter safety.

“Whilst the regulation of aviation safety is a reserved matter for the UK Government, it’s important all stakeholders work together to ensure the workforce have confidence that every effort is being made to keep them safe when travelling to and from offshore facilities.”

Unite Scotland’s Tommy Campbell will be available for interview after the meeting with the minister at around 1530.

Lewis Macdonald MSP lodged a Members motion opposing the return of the Super Puma 225 helicopter to fly workers from the heliports in the North Sea to the oil rigs in the sector. The motion was heard on 24th October.

Unite lobbied the Parliament on the same day. Here is a link to a short video of that event.

The Transport Minister Humza Yousaf replied to the debate and invited the trade unions to make submissions to him on the reasons why the the North Sea must stay Puma free.

Those submissions will be made by the trade unions on Tuesday 19th December 2017. Unite’s regional co-ordinating officer Tommy Campbell will lead the delegation.He will be available for media interview on Tuesday 19th at 1530.

Tommy Campbell said: “We are determined that the North Sea should remain Puma free.

The only way the workers there can stop the return of the Puma is to join Unite,

or one of the other trade unions in the industry.

A strongly unionised workforce means that the oil companies will recognise that any comeback for the Super Puma means a battle. To be fair many of the major oil companies and contractors have already told us that they have no intention of contracting with companies which want to use the Super Puma.

We want to persuade the minister that he should support that. “No Comeback for the Super Puma Keep the North Sea Puma Free”

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Tommy Campbell / 07810 157920

Bob Wylie / Unite Comms / 07711 751570

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Unite is the offshore union for offshore workers in the North Sea UKCS

Workers facing pay cut with Christmas around corner

Scores of north-east workers at an offshore drilling contractor are facing deep pay cuts with Christmas just around the corner.

Unite regional officer Willie Wallace said Odfjell Drilling was issuing the proposals to workers today as part of a consultation.

Mr Wallace said 180 employees were affected by what he described as a “considerable reduction in terms and conditions”.

Odfjell, which has a base in Altens, Aberdeen, said in a letter

to employees – seen by Energy Voice − that the amendments to terms and conditions were necessary to “align with the current market environment”.

Odfjell said whilst it had recently secured new contracts, market conditions meant costs needed to be reduced for it to remain competitive as the oil price remains unstable.

In October, Odfjell said it had clinched a deal to perform drilling and maintenance work on EnQuest’s Magnus platform in the UK North Sea.

The company said in June that its Aberdeen business would recruit another 100 people after it won a contract with Taqa to provide services on five North Sea platforms.

In 2014, it secured a four-year contract extension to provide platform drilling services with BP in the UK North Sea, taking the contract renewal date to December 2018.

According to the letter from operations manager Donald MacLeod, dated November 29, Odfjell wants bring all offshore employees’ terms and conditions in line with a set of standards which have been in place for new starts for about seven months.

A worker told Energy Voice the proposals involved the complete removal of health care and travel money, a 50% drop in sick pay and, in some cases, a 10% basic wage cut.

Mr Wallace said the basic wage cut would be “different for different people”.

He said the changes would be badly received by the workforce and were “unnecessary at this time”.

He added: “The workforce played its part previously in changing rotas and working extra shifts for no extra payment and are now saying, ‘enough is enough’.

“Unite awaits feedback from its members before meeting Odfjell again next week.”

Odfjell has been contacted for comment.

If you work for Odjfell and your not happy about the cuts it time to Join Unite and fight the cuts to your T&Cs – experienced workers does that equal pay cut?

What can you do?

What will you do?

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Next steps

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Put in place Unite points of contact on each odjfell offshore asset covering all and shifts rotas

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The wood group offshore unite members on shell assets were in a similar position as you in 2016 – What did they do? to see what they did they made history the first offshore strike in a generation by growing their union Unite, electing union reps on all shell assets and standing together and fighting back against attacks against their Terms and Conditions of employment in their contracts

Unite the Union delegation of offshore reps and regional officers will meet with Humza Yousaf MSP, Minister for Transport and the Islands as part of the ongoing campaign to keep the North Sea Puma Free

Humza Yousaf MSP

The delegation will meet 19th December at 2.30pm until 3.15pm in the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Grahame Smith, STUC General Secretary, and sister offshore unions will also be in attendance to convey the message from Union members working offshore to the transport minister – Airbus – Oil and Gas Uk and all operators and contractors – the Offshore workforce have lost all confidence in the 225 Super Puma Chopper and there should be no return of this chopper on commercial operations

Unite has written to Offshore oil companies and contractors – not one has said they intend to use super pumas to transport their workers offshore.- Norwegian oil company Statoil has publicly stated that they will not use the 225s again.